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Steve Kelly

Steve Kelley

Stanley Cup Champion with the New Jersey Devils

It was great to catch up with my friend and teammate, Steve Kelly. Steve and I grew up in the same neck of the woods, are the same birth year, and both played in the WHL. 

We ended up playing in Mannheim together in the DEL toward the ends of our careers.  

Steve Kelly

NHL Champion with the New Jersey Devils

Episode 26. Season 1. July. 26, 2020

We also have something else in common. We never had the NHL career we would have liked. 

Steve did collect 149 NHL games by the time he was done, playing for the Oilers, Lightning, Devils, Kings and Wild. And Steve did win the Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2000.  

But after being chosen with the 6th overall selection by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1995 NHL draft, he had his sights set on a long NHL career. 

We discuss Steve’s journey throughout his career, and cover a lot of great topics like: 

  • How Steve went from undrafted in the WHL Bantam draft to 6th Overall in the world 
  • What Steve thinks is the most important aspect of youth hockey (that many coaches often forget) 
  • Learn the VERY WORST way to celebrate your first NHL goal 
  • What Steve said to Lou Lamoriello that got him traded the very next day 
  • Intangibles other than talent and skill that can determine your hockey destiny 
  • The key thing we both wish we would have had early in our careers but was missing 
  • An amazing story about Bruce Boudreau that shows why his players love him. 

This is an honest conversation, with an authentic man, a great teammate, and a good friend. 

Remember, hockey is about people first, not the stick and the puck. 

I hosted this LIVE in my Facebook “Up My Hockey – Parent Group” If you are a supportive hockey parent, would love front row access to my guests, think mindset is an important part of high performance, and would enjoy an engaged community of like-minded people from across North America, the group will be perfect for you! See you there! 

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Nik Antropov

Nik Antropov

788 Game NHL Career, 465 points with 3 different teams

Nik Antropov has a path to the NHL like I have never heard before. From a small town in Kazakhstan, Antropov had never even heard of the NHL until he was around the age of 13-14! His goal growing up was simply to play on the top team in his local town.. Yet alone being a 10th overall draft pick to the one and only, Toronto Maple Leafs.

Nik Antropov

NHL jouneyman, championship coach, and scout.

Episode 25. Season 1. July. 19, 2020

Niks career was plagued with injury, so pairing that with the overwhelming expectations placed on him from the fans and media of Toronto, Niks journey was certainly no walk in the park..

However through hard work, determination and self belief, he found a way to keep overcome the scrutiny, language barriers and injuries to end up wearing a letter on his journey for the Toronto Maple Leafs before his time there came to an end.

Nik now works with Russian players as a skills consultant to help them make the transition to the NHL.

This is such an interesting episode on the up my hockey podcast, and I hope you all listen, enjoy and share this episode!

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Mark Ferner

Mark Ferner

Today we did something new – I recorded the episode LIVE inside my Facebook Group dedicated to supportive hockey parents! Members were able to listen live AND ask questions. The group is called Up My Hockey – Parent Group and you if you would like direct access to my amazing guests, please join us!

Mark Ferner

NHL jouneyman, championship coach, and scout.

Episode 24. Season 1. July. 12, 2020

Mark Ferner played junior for the Kamloops Blazers before he embarked on his 15-year professional career. Mark spent time in the AHL, IHL, DEL and also the NHL, with the Buffalo Sabres, Washington Capitals, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, and Detroit Red Wings.

Upon his retirement as a player, Mark started a new career as coach for the expansion Vancouver Giants of the WHL. Coaching would take Mark back to Kamloops where he would get his first head coaching job with the Blazers. Mark went on to coach for the next 16 years with 9 seasons in the BCHL with the Vernon Vipers where he was also the GM.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the BCHL, it is the top Junior A league in Canada and is an NCAA Div I hockey factory.

With the Vipers Mark accomplished something few coaches can claim, he led his team to 3 consecutive National Championships, winning twice.

Most recently Mark served as amateur scout for the Buffalo Sabres.

I first met Mark after a trade to the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings initially assigned me to their IHL affiliate in Long Beach. Mark was 11 years older than me, a veteran, and a leader. He made me feel comfortable and a part of things while I was with the Ice Dogs.

Little did either of us know that 7 years later Mark would be coaching a Junior A team in my hometown. But that’s the way hockey works… it’s a

small world… and reminds you constantly that being a good human matters. Once your career is done all you have left are the memories and the relationships you made along the way.

Mark brings a treasure trove of experience with him as a guest. He has seen it all and knows what it takes to succeed in the sport. He also happens to tell a great story.

Enjoy the episode.

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Peter Worrell

Peter Worrell

Ex-NHL Heavy Weight

Peter Worrell was kind enough to join us today on Up My Hockey. 

Big Pete was not hard to find on the ice. He towered at 6’7” and weighed in at around 260 pounds. He played physical, using both his size and his fists to his advantage. And in case someone missed him visually, you could usually hear him, as he enjoyed some good trash talk as well. 

Peter Worrell

Ex NHL Heavy Weight

Episode 23. Season 1. July. 5, 2020

Pete is a Caribbean-Canadian moving from Barbados with his parents to the Montreal area at the age of 3. Due to the color of his skin, Pete encountered prejudice and general stupidity throughout his time in minor hockey, junior hockey and in the professional ranks. 

We cover race at the beginning of this episode because we needed to. We wanted to. And it should be a discussion you have with your family and friends as well. 

I didn’t want the topic of race to overshadow Peter’s amazing career but we both felt it was important to discuss issues with hockey that are very relevant in the context of the protests occurring around the world.  

Our sport is for everyone. Collectively we need to stand together and change the standards and expectations for those who are involved. From the coaches, to the players, to management, to the fans… hockey should be a place where your ethnicity is celebrated, not denigrated. 

In this episode Peter tells an emotional story about an incident that occurred during his second NHL game with Craig Berube. I believe it highlights what needs to improve and what’s so amazing about the people that play our sport. I’ll leave the details for the episode, but you don’t want to miss it.  

Peter Worrell wasn’t just a goon – he was a hockey player. He won a Memorial Cup and produced offensively averaging an impressive point per game average while amassing 495 penalty minutes in the process. 

He led the NHL in penalty minutes one season as well, ending the 2001-02 campaign with 100 more PIM’s than second place. But he also averaged 9 minutes of ice time per game, which was much higher than most big men of his era. He could be trusted to make a play and get in on the forecheck and be responsible in his own end. 

Big Pete ended his career with 391 NHL games, 19 goals, and 1554 penalty minutes. I’d say that’s a pretty damn good job for a young man from Barbados, wouldn’t you?!?!? Hockey is for everyone. 

Enjoy the episode